The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-02
Tho Harper Trial.

CINCINNATI, December The Harpt I
trial was resumed this morning, with
]. w. Wiltshire on the stand. His tes.
timony showed that he had purchased
for Harper about 10000, 900 bushels of
wheat, of which they were holding
IA 900 900 bushels when the crash came
last June. The loss represented by the
break vi their corner was from So ,00O,-
600 to 100000. In every way he
made it clear that harper was his prin-
cipal, thai his checks on the Fidelity
Bank were not against any balance
there to his credit, and that he was
gwen to understand they were to be
protected by Harper. On cross-ex-
animation, the fact was elected, that
Wiltshire had deposited checks aggre-
eating $500. 900, on the First National
Bank of this city, and $95 900 on the
Merchants Bank with the Fidelity,
where they we're treated as cash. He
had not that amount of money in those
banks at the time the checks were
drawn, but he did it because he was in
structed so to do by Harper. whom he
supposed to be abundsntly able to take
care of the checks.
Recess was then taken until this after
noon.
When court convened in the after
noon, the cross examination of Viii
shire was resumed He said he had
given checks to Harper to take up
others, but did not know to what
amount. He said be had teiegraphed
from Cleveland to Chicago to buy wheat
for Harper. On June 4th he went to
Harper's house to make a suggestion.
He saw him again in the evening, and
got package TO take to Chicago. Mr..
Gahr, Harper's brother in law, went
with him to Chicago, and took pos
session of the envelope that Harper
had given him, saying that it con-
tanned 100000. Kershaw and Hoyt
went with him to the bank. His in
structions were based on a telegram
from Harper to the American Nationsl
Exchange Bank, that If the bank would
agree to take this package and see that
the brokers representing the deal were
amply protected, and furnish the men
with such accommodations as would
carry it out, he was to leave the pack
age. He acted under these instructions,
and did not think it anything unusual.
Government counsel then took the
witness and showed by him that several
orders for wheat were signed by Harper
first examination that John n. Lewis
had furnished some $500, 900 in checks.
which Wiltshire had discounted, and put
in the Fidelity Bank to the credit of
the Harper deal. He now stated that
the Chicago firm knew nothing of Lewis
in the transaction. They only knew
Wiltshire. The witness said the checks
on the First National Bank were met by
deposits from the Fidelity Bank, and 30
far as he knew. all the money came
from the Fidelity Bank.
Mr.. Ebenezer Schofeld, cashier of the
First National Bank of New York,
testified that his bank maze loan to
the Fidelity Bank on two certificates of
deposit, which he produced. They were
for $500 900 each, and were due June
81 and July 7. They were accompanied7
by a letter which he also produced;
also another letter was received previ
ously. The first letter gave list of
collateral for the loan, including notes
of the Riverside Iron and Steel Com
pany, SwIft's Iron Company, e. Il.
Harper & Co.. and others. The letter was
signed by E. L. Harper, Notary Public.
Considerable detail was asked OF this wit
ness by the district attorney, saying
that the purpose was to show that
harper WIS lnSCINSHb1 tuds tuo uOucy
used was drawn from the bank, while 9
special account was kept for the pur-
pose of giving him fictitious credit.
Scho6eld said that their claim, pre-
sented to Receiver Armstrong, was for
about $3.50 600. James A. Quinlan,
cashier of the Chemical National Bank,
of New York, said his bank had made
loan on March I'd to the Fidelity Bank
of $500, 900, upoD certain collateral.
These included notes Of the companies
named by other witnesses, as we'll by
the Champion Machine Works,
Whitley, Fassler & Kelly, and Hon. g.
Bundy. Adjourned.